Ricerca
Progetti di ricerca
CIRCOLEARE: Context Innovation through Resource Cycling Organization: Leading to Recycling Economy. Interfirm Networks for Circular Bioeconomy in the Agrifood Sector: Evidence from the Olive Oil Industry in Southern Italy
Responsabile: prof. Domenico Salvatore
Data inizio: 2024
Data fine: 2026
The transition towards a circular economy requires managerial competencies
and tools. In this regard, collaborative governance strategies may contribute to
making sustainable business models feasible. This proposal addresses two
important research gaps in this growing body of literature:
1) the theoretical link among inter-organizational networks, sustainable
business models and the circular economy;
2) the need for more process-oriented knowledge on how to support small and
medium enterprises (SME) in creating inter-organizational networks.
To this end, this research aims to test the impact that inter-firm
interrelations (business networks, consortia, producer organizations, etc.) have
on the implementation of circular bioeconomy practices. This study takes a
further step forward focusing on one of the main sectors of the Italian economic
system - the agrifood industry. This ambition drives our research questions (RQ)
as follows: RQ1: Does being part of networks increase the propensity to adopt
circular bioeconomy practices? RQ2: Do highly centralized networks increase the
propensity to adopt circular bioeconomy practices more than decentralized
networks do? RQ3: What are the main obstacles and facilitators of circular
bioeconomy practices adoption in the olive oil sector? To answer our research
questions, a quali-quantitative method will be adopted. A quantitative model
based on a survey of firms in the olive oil value chain in four regions of
Southern Italy will be used to test hypotheses developed thanks to the
literature review and related to our RQs. The survey will also be adopted to
sample participants willing to participate in the action research part of the
study. An explanatory multiple-case studies will enrich our analysis in order to
infer the main obstacles and facilitators of circular bioeconomy practices
adoption in the olive oil sector. We expect these data to shed new light on the
impact of collaborative governance model on firm sustainability, evaluating
whether its adoption can multiply circular bioeconomy initiatives, benefiting
from the effects of aggregation in terms of knowledge sharing, investment
sharing and fractionation of the related risk, cost reduction, simplification of
bureaucratic-administrative procedures. Indeed, understanding if networks
represent an effective corporate governance mechanism could suggest the right
path for boosting the implementation of circular economy practices and, thus,
compress economic and social costs for firms. For this reason, our research
project has several implications that may affect regulators, practitioners, and
academics, regardless of the obtained results.
Sito web
Bando di selezione per l'assegnazione di borse di studio aventi ad oggetto attività di ricerca
Bando (pdf)
Modulo di domanda (pdf)
Commissione (pdf)
Calendario prove selettive (pdf)
Graduatoria finale (pdf)
Bando di selezione per l'assegnazione di borse di studio aventi ad oggetto attività di ricerca
Bando (pdf)
Modulo di domanda (pdf)
Commissione (pdf)
Calendario prove selettive (pdf)